Porous Anodic Aluminum Oxide as an Efficient Support for Ruthenium Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols and Amines

The oxidation reaction of alcohols and amines to their respective aldehydes/ketones and nitriles are important reactions in the laboratory and industry. A highly robust and activated ruthenium supported anodic aluminum oxide (Ru@AAO) have been synthesized through the sonochemical method. The sonochemical technique allowed short synthesis time and uniform distribution of Ru on AAO surface as confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and BET surface area analysis. The synthesized catalyst was employed for the oxidation of alcohols and amines in the presence of atmospheric air at a relatively lower temperature. The synthesized catalyst showed excellent conversions of both alcohols and amines with high selectivities towards their respective aldehydes/ketones and nitriles. The function of the AAO support in Ru@AAO catalytic activity has also been elaborated in the present investigation.